2. Is the registration number affixed on the aircraft in compliance with
FAR's 45.21 through 45.29 [personal note: this is supposed to be "permanent" . .
. if you haven't painted your plane one technique which I think is deemed okay
is to have a sign shop cut your N-numbers via vinyl. These can be applied and
then removed prior to painting.]

3. Does the builder have an airplane and engine logbook? Do logbook
entries, data plate, and information on FAA forms have the same builder, model,
and serial number?

4. Is the current weight and balance recorded in legible format?

5. Is the word "EXPERIMENTAL" at least 2" minimum height and affixed onto
the aircraft in compliance with FAR 45.23(b)?

A: The regs call out 180KT CAS at cruise. I stipulate a cruise of 230MPH
TAS at 10,000MSL, which is 200KT TAS. Are you with me so far? You
might need this for your inspector, so pay attention!

As you recall from flight school, TAS diverges from IAS at about 2% per
thousand feet of altitude, so the IAS at cruise (200KT TAS) would be about 20%
less, or 160KT. Now, if you bothered to calibrate your ASI, it would indicate
160KT at cruise, well under the 180KT CAS limit.

At any rate fellas, the reg uses a CAS number, which is more like an
indicated speed, not a TAS. Our speed secret is our high TAS capability, thanks
to the cubic inch gods. Of course, you CAN use this power down low to go fast,
but the number is cruise speed, and we don't cruise at 180+KT CAS.

Cruise is a manufacturers' spec, and we can call out the altitude and
power settings for this condition. Keep this handy -- you might need it!
Cheers Mark Frederick *end of
comment*

The FAR is pretty clear on this subject. 3 inch numbers are fine as
long as your calibrated airspeed (IAS assuming it's accurate) at cruise is less
than 180knots, and cruise speed is the speed that gives you the best range, so
I'm just guessing here, but the Rockets best range speed is probably something
like 130-140 KIAS so we are not even close to exceeding the 180KIAS mark.

Interesting side note: The U-2 that I fly is moving along at better than
415Knots at altitude, but its indicated airspeed is about 110Knots, so if
somebody were to homebuilt a U-2, it could have 3 inch numbers. I doubt if even
the Iraqis could read 3 inch or 12 inch numbers at 70,000 feet however. We just
chalked a big white UN on wings when I left, probably 3 feet high, but I doubt
if they will be reading that either.

Now everybody needs to go build faster so I have more opportunities to fly
formation with other Rockets, something that I live for. Cheers Greg
Nelson *end of
comment*

Anodizing Aluminum

My first attempt at anodizing parts turned out OK. I used the info from
the articles below. I found that temperatures are critical, particularly
the acid used must be at room temperature. Rit dye works OK to dye the
parts. I also used inkjet printer ink, since it is available to me in
quart containers. It worked OK also. Another particularly
important item is to use ALUMINUM wire to connect the parts being anodized to
the power supply. Don't have any other metal in the acid, i.e. no copper
clipleads can be in the acid.

Based on the number of companies
selling, and people looking for, anodizing services for their gun's aluminum
bodies and parts, I wanted to provide this info to the paintballing community. I
first came across the process in Super Chevy magazine, in an article about
anodizing your own parts and brackets, for a custom touch on your hot rod. (*
Original article by Bruce Hampson.) Often anodizing is considered and/or
presented as a difficult and expensive procedure. As it turns out, it really
isn't that hard or that pricey.

Supplies Needed:

The first thing to do is to get the
following things together: First on the list is the most expensive item: a 6 to
12 volt battery charger. This item is what might make this too expensive for
some paintballers. I (and most other hot rodders) already have one, for my car.
If you don't, then you will need to pick one up. They run from $45.00 to $110.00
depending on model, functions, etc. While it may seem like a lot, it does have
other uses. (You could charge a battery, for example.) =) The next item, though
not that expensive, will take some effort to find: battery electrolyte, a.k.a.
sulfuric acid. This should be available at a battery wholesaler for about
$2.00/gal. To make the negative ground , you will need some aluminum ground wire
and aluminum-foil. The wire can be found at an electronics store for about
$35/spool, and you should have the foil in the kitchen. If you happen to be out
of foil, you can pick up some more at the store when you go to buy the last item
for this project.

No super-special chemicals or
solutions necessary to make the colors; just plain-old fabric dye. (Something
like Rit dye, for about $5.00.) Rit offers something like 30-40 different
colors, so you have quite a number of choices for what color you want your parts
to be. An optional item is nitric acid: about $25.00/2.5 L. (This is used to
clean parts prior to anodizing, but there are some cheaper alternatives. See end
notes.) This is available at chemical supply store s. Should you not be able to
find any, you can try to get on the good side of the high school science
teacher. He may help you out since you only need a few ounces.

Safety Precautions:

There are a few precautions I want
to go over to help keep you from blowing up the house or trashing the garage.
First of all, do not mix or store your anodizing solution in a glass container.
Something could happen to make it break, and most households are not equipped to
deal with that kind of spill. You also don-t want to knock over the container,
so a stable, rubber bucket makes a good choice. You will also need to be certain
that the part you want to color will fit in the container without sticking out
of the solution, and without touching the negative ground in the bottom of the
container. Any acid that you don't use, keep in what it came in, or an old
plastic bottle, like a bleach bottle. You can also store your used solution this
way for doing more parts later. (Make sure that there is absolutely no bleach
left in the bottle. Acid and bleach make chlorine gas. Very bad. Don't breath.
Poisonous.) Safety also applies to the nitric acid, but in a different way. It
is imperative that you label and keep track of this stuff, as it is a stronger
acid than sulfuric, and more dangerous. The breakage/spill problem is not as
likely since you won't have that much around. (Unless you bought more than a few
ounces from the chem store.) The last note about the acids is to mix properly
when adding acid and water. Always pour acid into water, never the other way,
and do so slowly, being sure to mix in well. There is a reaction taking place
and it releases a lot of energy. During the anodizing process, you will be
running electricity through a weak acid solution. This creates hydrogen (jus t
like charging a battery) which is very flammable. This stuff burns at the speed
of thought when ignited, so do be careful. (Read as Remember the Hindenburg?)
Make certain that there is some way to ventilate the project area, and DO NOT
let any sources of ignition near the project area. Other precautions you should
take include safety glasses, rubber gloves, and maybe some sort of drop sheet
under the area.

Preparations:

One of the most essential things
you need to do in order to get even color over the whole part is to be sure that
the part is absolutely clean. You want it free of all contaminates, from dirt to
the oils in your skin. This is where the nitric acid and some rubber gloves will
help. A solution of 1-2 ounces of nitric acid in a gallon of distilled water
will allow you to clean the surface in preparation for the anodizing. Aluminum
oxidizes very quickly when exposed to air, so the easiest way to keep it clean
is to clean it just before you are ready to start working on the piece. (You
should rinse the part with distilled water before you put it in the next acid
solution.) Other options are carburetor or brakes cleaners, or other similar
degreasers. Soap and water will work also, or cleaners like Simple Green. These
are cheaper, a nitric acid was h is the best. (You decide, it's your money.) =)
Make your negative ground with the aluminum wire and foil. Shape the end of the
wire into a paddle shape and cover the round part with the foil. What you want
to do is create a flat, round shape to sit on the bottom of the bucket, with a
lead that comes up out of the bucket. You will clip the battery charger's
negative lead to the wire that comes out of the bucket. When you are ready to
start, you will want to mix up your immersion solution. In your rubber bucket,
combine the sulfuric acid and water to come up with a solution that is about 30%
water. (1 part water to 2 parts acid.) Place the paddle in the bucket and attach
the negative lead. Then attach the positive lead to the part, making it an
anode, and immerse it in the solution. (Remember that the two leads the paddle
(cathode), and the part (anode) should not touch.) This is the best time to turn
on the charger: once the part begins to fizz, leave it in there for about 10-15
minutes. After about this time the part should no longer conduct electricity.
(You can also use an ohmmeter to check conductivity, but this is not needed.)
Turn off and disconnect everything, and rinse the part in cold water. Don't use
hot water! You'll find out why in the next section.

A couple of notes:

I have read some other procedures
that say it is important that the copper lead from the charger does not enter
the acid solution. The article says nothing about this, and shows a picture with
the lead right in there. It may take some trial and error to find out if this is
a problem. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get some scrap aluminum and play with it
before you start anodizing your paint gun parts. You can check out the above, as
well as pick the colors you like best. If you test out some colors, you'll also
learn just how long or short you need to work with the color solution.

Color:

So now it doesn't conduct
electricity, and is ready for color. It's been rinsed and waits eagerly to
change to a new look. Don't wait too long to do the color, due to that oxidizing
thing again. You want to mix up a strong solution of dye and water, in a
container that can be heated. The solution needs to be at low heat, such as on
the stove, so bread and cake pans work well. Again, you need something that will
fit the whole part, but it's okay if it touches the bottom this time. I would
recommend turning parts every few minutes just to make sure that you get
all-over color. Inform your mom or wife that the pan can (and will be) washed
out. It is important that the heat be low enough. If the solution gets too hot,
you will seal the surface, and it will no longer take any color. (See, told you
to rinse it in cold water!) Leave it in the dye until the part is slightly
darker than you want it. The next step is to seal the surface of the metal in
clean, boiling water. This will leech a bit of color from it, thus the slightly
darker color in the previous step.

End Notes:

It is important to realize that the
process described above will yield only one co lor on your part. At this time, I
haven't found out how to do any of the splash type of anodizing. (That's okay
though, it looks really ugly anyways.) =) Should anyone happen to figure it out,
I suggest you submit it to Warpig so they can put it up for ot hers who like it.
\par Also, this process is for aluminum. I don't know how, or if, it will work
on other metals. (I doubt it.) Anodizing only works well on rock metal like bar
or sheet stock, as opposed to castings. If it was forged or machined, it should
have the density to take color through this process. I figure this shouldn't be
too big a problem with the guns, but just thought I should let you know about
it.

Something to consider when looking
for a charger, is how many amperes it puts out. Without getting into any
mumbo-jumbo, anodizing relies on 10 to 40 amperes per square foot. For small
brackets and such, this is no problem. The larger parts in a gun however, may
need the higher levels of amperes. The other note about part size, has to do
with how lon g you leave it in the solution. Above it said 10-15 minutes, but
that is for a smaller part. The larger parts may not only need higher amperes,
but more time as well. I would recommend an ohmmeter, but again, I have one
already.

So there you have it. Quick ,
fairly easy, and not too expensive. If you don't have the charger, then your
first anodizing session could cost as much as sending your gun out to be done.
But, then you can do it again for much less. Or do your buddies stuff. Or talk
them into chipping in on a setup for all of you to use. We all know ways to help
make things cheaper.

The Author will accept no
responsibility from damages or injuries as a direct or indirect result of
attempting this procedure. The only person liable is you,
so be careful and think!

Hard Anodizing Aluminum

Yes, regular anodizing makes the
surface harder while preserving the normal hardness of the material just under
the surface. It is also a very thin coating or "shell" (.0002" to .0008" if
colored). Hard Anodizing results in a thicker surface shell of oxidized Aluminum
(.001) and unfortunately can't be colored. But the surface hardness can range up
to Rockwell 65C!! But the technique for Hard Anodizing aluminum is similar. To
hard anodize aluminum, follow the above instructions but lower the temperature
of the water/electrolyte mixture to near the freezing point of water (0 degrees
C or 32 degrees F). Also, the input voltage must be increased to 75 volts (DC)
or less, depending on the desired hardness. There was no specific data given, so
you will have to experiment some. Maximum voltage will result in maximum surface
hardness, but you are on your own for the rest.

Miscellaneous:

Not a Rocket, but a super nice slider on John Hawley's RV-4. John had
this to say:

Vince,
I had the pleasure of meeting you last Sat. afternoon down at Les Featherston's
fly-in.......what a place! I didn't get there until mid-afternoon.....just
stayed a little while, but it was great meeting the true hard-core stragglers
who were still there. Back home in Wichita, yesterday I was making the usual
check of Doug Reeve's World Wide Wing site and came across your photos of the
event. Lo-and-behold......there was a picture of that awesome Rocket, getting
ready to go up for a ride, and best of all.......there was the tail of my
red/white RV-4 (with sliding canopy) in the background! Cool, I thought......on
the internet. Anyway, then I continued looking through your great photo album
and ran across the pictures of the 'fat RV-4' which you had taken at Oshkosh
2001. You told that it was built by Joe Meyer of Duncan, British Columbia!!
That's the guy that built MY RV-4! I've never talked to Joe, but had heard he
built another -4 after mine, one that was wider and longer.....and by golly,
you've got pictures of it! I was thrilled to finally get a glimpse of the
sister-ship......it has a sliding canopy too.....and is painted just like mine.
Have been thrilled with the plane, and decided I'd try to give Joe a call of
appreciation some day. The RV world is smaller than I thought......thanks for
the good coverage on Rebel's Bluff.....and the glimpse of the 'sister ship', and
get that Rocket finished! John Hawley.

Shipping big crates:

Here's a tidbit that might SAVE somebody a few BUCKS. Over the years I
have come to expect that crates from the west coast (Van's) shipped to Indiana will cost
between $60 and $200. Imagine my surprise when a single crate from Bakersfield cost $511
for shipping!!! I said "WHAT!!!!" to the man at the shipping terminal and
explained that I thought that was way to much money for a single crate. After a few
minutes he explained that the crate was misclassified and the charge was $227. Airplane
parts cost more than airplane materials to ship he explained. Huh? What difference should
that make? I thought that $227 was still too high but paid it rather than shipping it
back. So here's my advice: Always pick your crates up at the terminal as you won't be able
to easily negotiate with a truck driver idling outside your garage. Also if the shipping
cost seems too high, start squealing... the man at the terminal is more likely to
negotiate than to ship something back!Vince Frazier *end of
comment*

To those of you who want better air flow through (hot and cold)
the cockpit with smaller systems providing you with greater comfort, you need to
stop the battle of inlet air coming from the front of the plane (your design)
with that coming from the tail (and to some extent from the wings, rear canopy
skirt, flap rod holes, etc.). The RV-4 tail PUMPS!!! and I suspect that the
other designs do also.

After 35 hrs. in the back of an RV-4, X-country, that had a
single hole in the fire wall (no hoses in cockpit) providing heat evenly to the
cockpit (front and back) I wanted to know how it worked so well. Other RV's
didn't work this well, including mine. Sleeping under the wing, I spotted a hole
in the center of the belly of the tail cone that turned out to be one of those
plastic NACA ducts BACKWARDS (located 49" ahead of the back end of the
fuselage). WAS this it? I wasn't about to cut up my bird to find out. The owner
had purchased the RV-4 and had no idea why it was there. He thought it was part
of the design (no hoses to it).

Here is how I improved cockpit comfort: To stop cold air from
coming in and freezing certain body parts: 1) I sewed up some boots
for the aileron push tubes from light weight synthetic Swede leather (women's
garment from the GoodWill provided the material). 2) Sealed the
canopy to canopy rails with "P-Strip" from Van's. 3) Sealed the
front of the canopy to the cowl boot with the silicone pressed into plastic
wrap. 4) Sealed the front right corner of the canopy to canopy rail
with a piece of foam wedge. 5) Covered the flap arms with a shaped
aluminum panel (this was for safety also). No problem with rear skirts because I
don't have them. No stick boots either but maybe one day. The lack of
stick boots does allow for airflow under the floorboards but I'm not sure that
this is an advantage. All of this sealing improved the situation.

My source of fresh air is a 7/8" hole in the left wing root
fairing, plumbed with 1" hose to an instrument panel mounted Wemac(sp) ball. My
source of hot air is a standard heat exchanger through a 1.5" valve (Lancair) on
the center of the firewall. In the future I will be adding some general purpose
cooling air near the rudder pedals with a valve. Right now I am bypassing the
heat exchanger in the summer. Before I made the previously mentioned
changes, this is what happened. I would open my vents and would receive a
blast of air that would then diminish as the cockpit would pressurize. The fight
was on between the front air and the tail air. The "front lines" (front lines=
that point where the two pressure fronts meet) were at the cockpit. Without
stick boots I have plenty of openings front to back under the floor boards. With
stick boots I would have to open a 2" (min.) hole in the back of the baggage
compartment (in a location where baggage would not block it). The RV-4 has
enough of an air flow leak around the back seat to the baggage compartment.

Optimizing the ventilation: 1) Remember that I didn't want
to cut a reverse NACA Duct in my RV's belly? It so happens that I have an
inspection hole forward of the first tail bulkheads (this was to get at the
bolts that hold my tail on. I made up a second cover plate for that hole,
cut an 1 1/4" hole in it and made a fiberglass cover for the hole that looks
like a rounded over half of a jar lid. Think of it as a reverse scoop. The
trailing edge of this device is a 1/2" above the cover plate surface. The
rounded over leading edge is a 3/16"radius (from the side it looks like the top
half of a wing leading edge) and the purpose is to create a low pressure area
over the hole. I haven't sewn a boot for the elevator push tube at that first
tail bulkhead yet, but I moved the battle "front lines" back to the tail where
the air flow is vented via the device I made up. I now have so much hot air that
I can't open the valve but a crack. 2) Seal the tail off with a boot
and put a reverse something NACA duct (inset) or low pressure device (outset)
forward of the booted bulkhead on the belly or wherever. My proof of concept
part is just under the leading edge of the left horizontal stab. (remember that
it is also an inspection cover).*end of comment*

There's much discussion about whether air outlets are needed.
Some have suggested making boots to seal around the aileron pushtubes and
sealing other openings under the floorboards. Who knows? I plan to
fly mine before I do any work to enhance the ventilation. Vince*end of comment*

CAUTION: This
web site is not a publication of, nor approved by, Harmon LLC, Team Rocket, Van's Aircraft or any
other person or entity listed herein, except me. Be advised that I am a
blithering idiot with neither brains nor money and my advice is not to be
trusted. So there. You have been warned! Vince